1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to hanger brackets, and more particularly to a hanger bracket for attachment to existing suspension rods of the type that depend from basement ceilings for the support of waste lines and other structures.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
A preliminary patentability and novelty search conducted in Class 248, sub-classes 317, 323 and 327 revealed the existence of three U.S. Pat. Nos. as follows:
______________________________________ 2,631,809 3,136,841 3,863,879 ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. No. 2,631,809 relates to a furring hanger for attachment in three different ways to a suspended and threaded rod. The furring hanger is provided with lateral extensions that are apertured to receive the threaded rod, and a Tinnerman-type nut is threaded onto the lower end of the threaded rod to position the hanger at an appropriate level. In a second embodiment of the invention disclosed in this patent the proper level of the hanger bracket is determined by a common hex-nut screwed onto the threaded rod, while in a third embodiment disclosed in this patent, the lateral extensions of the first embodiment are replaced by an extension that comprises a double thickness of the sheet material threaded to threadably receive the lower end of the threaded rod.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,136,841 relates to a combined busway hanger and hanger adaptor. The adaptor is the only part of this assembly that bears any pertinency to the hanger bracket forming the subject matter of the instant invention and such pertinency is remote.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,879 relates to an apparatus for mounting a ceiling air terminal. Structurally and functionally, there appears to be little relevance between the teaching of this patent and the instant invention.
When multi-story buildings are constructed, it is frequently the practice to excavate for a below grade level garage or basement, and it is usual in such instances, particularly where the ceiling of the basement is poured concrete, to embed within the concrete threaded metallic blocks to which are attached threaded rods that depend perpendicularly downwardly from the ceiling, usually in spaced pairs, for the support of various types of equipment, such as waste lines, water lines and electrical conduits. The three patents noted above illustrate some of the methods in which such threaded rods are utilized to support such equipment. A difficulty arises however when, long after construction has been completed, additional equipment must be installed and supported from the same threaded rods already in use for support of the original equipment. Accordingly, it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a hanger bracket that may be quickly and easily attached to an already existing suspended rod without disturbing the equipment already supported thereby.
In some structures, the equipment supported on the depending rods is supported near the bottom of the rods on cross beams secured to the rod's clips or nuts as in the patents noted above. There frequently exists a large space above existing equipment that may be utilized to support additional belatedly installed equipment. It is therefore another object of the invention to provide a pre-manufactured hanger bracket that may be easily, quickly and securely detachably secured to the already existing rods in the space between existing equipment and the ceiling from which it is suspended without disturbing the location of existing equipment.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a pre-manufactured hanger bracket that may be used in pairs attached to pairs of depending suspension rods to form spaced platforms to which a cross beam may be detachably secured to form a support plane for equipment to be supported by the rod-suspended hanger brackets.
The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be apparent from the following description and the drawings. It is to be understood however that the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described, since it may be embodied in various forms within the scope of the appended claims.